Telegraph-transmitter.



No. 63l,454. Patented Aug. 22, I899. J. E, WRIGHT.

TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

(Application filed May '5, 1899.

(Na Model.)

Winems f 2 fizz/612201 W1 M I rn: Norms ra'rrn's co, Puo'roumou wAsnmoYun n c UNITED STATES PATENT EEI JOHN E. WRIGHT, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

SPEGIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,454., dated August 22, 1899. Application filed May 5, 1899- Serial No. 715 ,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Telegraph- Transmitters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

The invention forming the subject of my present application for Letters Patent is a transmitter for printing or similar telegraphic I instruments, the invention residing in certain improvements, hereinafter specifically pointed out, whereby the apparatus is rendered more durable and efiective as a means for sending in rapid succession series of alternating-current impulses over a line for actuating a suitable receiver.

The apparatus as a whole is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of the transmitter, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in detail the construction and arrangement of the several parts of the apparatus.

The instrument is mounted 011 a suitable base A.

At the rear of the supporting-frame B are pivoted at a the key-levers O, the forward ends being beveled, as shown in Fig. 2, and resting normally on a bar D, which is carried by arms extending from a rock-shaft E. A spring I), connected with an arm 0 at one end and to the base A at the other, imparts to the. bar a tendency to remain under the ends of the key-levers, and a spring-seated key or plunger F 'is employed to move the said bar forward or away from. the key-levers by depressing an arm d, fixed to rock-shaft E.

Above the forward ends of the key-levers is the keyboard, in which are set the keyplungers G, which correspond to the various characters or operations which the receiver is capable of printing or performing. Each plunger straddles a corresponding key-lever, so that the depression of the one effects the depression of the forward end of the latter.

To the frame B, above the key-levers G, short levers H are pivoted ate and extend forward through notches in a bridge-bar K, secured to the frame B.

Each lever H is connected ment with a pin on the barrel L.

' to the corresponding key-lever immediately under it by a linkt' and carries aspring-com tact strip g, that projects forward and downward, as shown, terminating over a pin-barrel L. Spiral springs f are connected to the levers H or the fixed ends of the springs g and to the bridge-bar K, respectively, and

act to maintain the levers H and O inan elevated position. The barrel L is mounted in suitable bearings at the sides of theframe B and carries a series of pins h, set in its metallic surface in a spiral line. Rotation is imparted to the barrel by a spirally-toothed wheel M, fixed to the end of the shaft and meshing with a worm'N on a shaft O,mounted in hearings on the base of the instrument. 0n the shaft Ois a pulley P, held to the shaft by friction and adapted to be driven by a belt from a suitable motor.

The shaftO carries at its forward end a commutator composed of a hard-rubber cylinder n, in the surface of which are set the continuous metal rings 0 p and the four plates 4" s t '0. A plate R, of insulating material, is secured to the base Aand to it are secured four spring-contact strips S S and T T, which bear on the surface of the commutatorin position to make contact with the plates thereon, respectively.

A collar with two diametrically-opposite projections or studs m is secured to the shaft 0 by a set-screw. In the plane of rotation of the studs 00 there is pivoted an armaturelever y, having a hinged extension .2. A spring V, connected to the lever y, holds the latter away from thepoles of its magnet W, while a spring a, connected with the hinged extension 2, holds the latter down upon an adjust able stop j.

The apparatus as thus constructed is used and operated in the following manner: The shaft 0 is set in rotation by a motor, which is not shown in the drawings, and as the magnet Wis normally inactive its armature is held out of the path of the studs 00. same time all of the key-levers are raised and none of the spring-contacts g is in engage- As long as the shaft 0 rotates the commutator sends alternately opposite current impulses over the line I from the main battery J This may be done by any suitable arrangement of the cir- At the.

cuit connectionsas, for example, the two poles of the battery J are connected to the springs or brushes S S, the ring 0 is in electrical connection with plate 8 and plate it, while ring 1) is connected to plate o and plate 0', as indicated in dotted lines. By each revolution of the commutator therefore a positive and a negative impulse will be sent over the line. If any key, as F, be depressed, the beveled end of the lever C, which is operated by it, forces forward the bar D, which, re-

turning to position as soon as the key passes below it, looks the key down, as indicated in Fig. 2. The depression of the keylevers brings down the end of the spring-contact 9 into the path of its corresponding pin 71, and at the instant of contact between the two the local circuit on of the magnet \V is closed, as one end of this circuit is connected to the levers, while the other is connected to the insulated metallic surface of the drum L by a brush Z. \Vhen the magnet IV becomes energized, it draws down the lever 7 tilting the extension .2, so that the end of the latter lies in the path of the studs 0;. The shaft 0 will in consequence be arrested as soon as either of the studs engages the end of the extension z, and a prolonged current impulse will in consequence be sent to line. It now another key be depressed, it forces the bar D forward, which releases the key previously locked down, but is itself locked until released either by another key or by the special key F. The release of the first key, however, breaks the circuit of magnet IV and this permits the commutator to revolve, sending alternating impulses to line until the pin corresponding to the second key depressed engages with the spring-contact g, when the barrel is again arrested. There are, say, thirty-two pins on the barrel and the latter makes one revolution for every sixteen revolutions of the shaft 0. Hence from the arrangement of contacts on the commutator there will be thirty-two impulses sent to line for each complete revolution of the barrel L. The number of impulses, sent therefore, between the depression of any two keys will correspond exactly to the distance in are between the pins corresponding to such keys or -to the number of pins comprised in such arc.

The special object in view in the features of the apparatus which embody my improvement will now more readilyappear. The pinbarrel is positively stopped the instant that the rotation of the shaft 0 is arrested and the tendency to a retrograde movement due to shock is entirely avoided. Moreover, since the pin-barrel is not arrested by the mechanical engagement of the pins and keys no injury is done to either of the latter. The pins are advantageously beveled at their ends and the spring-contacts bent downward, so that a long rubbing contact is insured.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a pin-barrel connected with one terminal of a local circuit, a series of keys having contacts adapted to engage with the pins when depressed and connected with the opposite terminal of the circuit, means for imparting rotation to the pin-barrel, and a locking device controlled by the local circuit and adapted to arrest the pin-barrel when any pin and its corresponding key-con tact are brought into engagement, as set forth.

2. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a pin-barrel and its driving mechanism, of a series of keys, an electric circuit adapted to be closed by the contact of any key with its corresponding pin, and means controlled by said circuit for locking and releasing the said driving mechanism, as set forth.

3. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a pin-barrel, of a driving-shaft imparting rotation to the barrel through a wormgear, a series of keys, an electric circuitadapted to be closed by the contact of any key with its corresponding pin, a locking device for arresting the rotation of the driving-shaft, and an electromagnet in the key-controlled circuit for operating the said locking device, as set forth.

t. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a pin-barrel, a shaft imparting rotation to the barrel through suitable gearing, a commutator carried by said shaft for sending current impulses to line, a locking device adapted to encounter studs or stops on the shaft, a series of keys, an electric circuit adapted to be closed by the engagement of any key with its corresponding pin, and an electromagnet in said circuit for controlling the operation of the locking device, as set forth.

JOHN E. IVRIGHT. lVitnesses:

M. LAwsoN DYER, G. W. MARTLING. 

